Software Solutions Experience: Confusing and Complicated or To the Point? Part 1

Often, we hear end users, and even system support staff, will say that the software solutions they use, or support are complex, confusing and badly designed. I agree with these statements as it is true in many cases. There are many reasons for this statement, that will be covered later in this article.

In the picture above, there are two figures, that I will briefly explain, which will be as the basis of this article:

A: Illustrates those software solutions that are known as complex, confusing and badly designed.

B: Illustrates those software solutions ideal and will be easy to use, well designed and to the point for what it is designed.

In my experience, there are various reasons why those solutions as illustrated in picture A happens. Below is some, but not limited to:

• Cloud based / multi-tenant software solutions that are not well designed or lack of tenant security cause end user to see non-relevant information in filters and lookups that cause confusion and frustrations
• System processes not aligned with business processes cause irrelevant or unnecessary steps to fulfil a process
• Due to lack of functionality workarounds within a solution is use by making functions and fields available for other functionality instead of adding missing functionality
• Changing to systems that uses other methods to get to the same answer as the previous system, but users don't want to change, and therefore forcing old system methods into the system instead of adopting the new system methods
• Software vendors dictate the business process instead of the business / users of the system
• Over development or over automization of business processes
• Wrong solution or software selection for the applicable industry and force the solution into an industry
• Changing to systems that leave users with fewer functionality and controls than before
• Custom development for other companies become the norm and is included in the solution but not needed for you, and become overwhelming for users
• A single solution cannot be everything for everyone. It then becomes over complicated and slow
• Lack of standard reports and at the same time data accessibility is complex or refused by the software provider, creating perceptions that there is lack of data

The ideal is to move to picture B in the illustration. Even packaged solutions, must have the capabilities to be configured to give users the scenario B experience.

In next articles I will share my ideas how to address some of the points mentioned in this article.